1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for analyzing and processing data on an object, and particularly to a system and method for outputting measurement data on the object to a graphic file thereof.
2. Background of the Invention
In recent years, reverse engineering has been applied in a wide range of industrial design and manufacturing fields. Reverse engineering is mainly used for obtaining geometrical data on an object by analyzing and processing point cloud data on the object. Then a user can manufacture the object according to the geometrical data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,648 discloses an apparatus and method for creating three-dimensional modeling data on an object. Referring to FIG. 24, the apparatus comprises a material removal means 2401, a data requisition means 2403 and an object shuttle 2405. When the object shuttle 2405 transmits the object (not shown) to a first location 2407, the material removal means 2401 cuts the object to provide an exposed surface thereof. Then the object shuttle 2405 transmits the object to a second location 2409. The data requisition means 2403 acquires data on the exposed surface. Subsequently, the object is transmitted back to the first location 2407 and back to the second location 2409 repeatedly, for successive cycles of cutting the object and acquiring data. After each exposed surface is provided, geometrical data on it is obtained, processed and recorded. By combining the geometrical data on each exposed surface, a three-dimensional electronic domain representation of the object is yielded.
However, the user sometimes wants to know the difference between the geometry of the manufactured object and the theoretical geometry of the object. Computer aided verification (CAV) can provide such information. CAV can compare a point cloud model of the object with a design model thereof, and mark difference ranges in different colors. CAV can let the user know where and how the manufactured object is different from the design model.
Even though CAV can indicate difference ranges between the manufactured object and the design model, the user sometimes need to know exact differences. This is because the user may want to improve the quality of the manufactured object by changing production criteria and procedures. Current technology does not enable the user to obtain measurements of the manufactured object and juxtapose the measurements with design dimensions of the object for precise comparison.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a system for analyzing and processing data on an object, wherein measurement data on the object can be readily output to a graphic file of the object.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for analyzing and processing data on an object, wherein measurement data on the object can be readily output to a graphic file of the object.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a system and method for outputting measurement data on an object to a graphic file of the object. A preferred embodiment of the system comprises a data obtaining module for gathering the measurement data and the graphic file of the object, a data processing module for outputting the measurement data to the graphic file, and a graphic file management module for storing the graphic file incorporating the measurement data. The data processing module further comprises: an information gathering sub-module, for obtaining data input by a user which can assist outputting of the measurement data to the graphic file; a program invoking sub-module for invoking various process programs, wherein the process programs can determine how to output the measurement data to the graphic file; a port capturing sub-module for obtaining a communication port connecting the measurement data and the graphic file; an attribute changing sub-module for changing any non-text format measurement data into text format measurement data; an attribute retrieving sub-module for retrieving attributes of figure units in the graphic file; an analyzing and calculating sub-module for comparing the measurement data with the retrieved attributes and thereby determining which measurement data should be output; and a dimension data outputting sub-module for outputting the determined measurement data to the graphic file.
A preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention comprises the steps of: (i) retrieving the measurement data and graphic file of the object; (ii) obtaining data input by users, wherein the data can assist outputting of the measurement data to the graphic file; (iii) invoking process programs according to the obtained information; (iv) obtaining a communication port connecting the measurement data and the graphic file; (v) changing a format of the measurement data into a format of the graphic file; (vi) retrieving figure units in the graphic file whose attributes are in accordance with attributes of the measurement data; (vii) obtaining links between the measurement data and the figure units; (viii) outputting the measurement data to the graphic file; and (ix) storing the graphic file that has had the measurement data input therein.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention with the attached drawings, in which: